RESEARCH REGARDING THE USE OF EGGSHELLS POWDER FOR SOILS REHABILITATION CONTAMINATED WITH CD AND PB

Abstract

Eggshells are one of the widely used by-products in the food processing and manufacturing industries. Due to the increased content of minerals, especially calcium and magnesium and less trace elements (iron, zinc, manganese, copper), chicken eggshell waste can be used in many agricultural activities as a mineral fertilizer, as an additive for improving the physical parameters of the soil, or reducing the accessibility of lead and cadmium from soils polluted with heavy metals, as a substitute for natural calcium carbonate or as a nutritional improver in animal feed. The purpose of this paper was to characterize the eggshell waste resulting from household activities of food preparation and their use for the regeneration of the acid soils contaminated with heavy metals. The objectives of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of eggshells as a material for blocking lead and cadmium in acidic soils contaminated with heavy metals. The use of eggshells in agricultural soil rehabilitation activities contributes both to increasing soil fertility and can also be an effective way of neutralize eggshell waste from agro-industrial activities. It can be also said that chicken eggshell powder can be recommended both as an organic fertilizer, which increases the mineral intake of plants, and as a soil stabilizer, improving plant health.